Jacob j



(No Model.)

J. J. UNBEHEND.

CLASP PLATE.

I Petented Sept. 15, 1885;

UNITED I STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JACOB UNBEHEND, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK.

' CLASP-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326.355, dated SeptemberlS, 18 85.

I Application'filed May 26, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. UNBEHEND, of Syracuse. in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasp-Plates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has special reference to the usual transversely-slotted plate which is atiached to one of the straps or quarters of the shoe, and receives through one of its slots the tongue hinged on the clasp proper attached to the other strap or quarter. Said slotted plate is usually curved from a horizontal plane to conform as near as possible to the contour of the instep of the foot; but inasmuch as thelat-- ter varies to a greater or less extent it is impossible to always fit said plate to the instep. The consequence is that when said plate is connected with the clasp and subjected to strain the former is liable to become bent or broken, especially across the narrow portions or side bars at the ends of the slots. To obviate this defect, I have heretofore re-enforced the aforesaid slotted plate by longitudinal concavo-convex ribs struck up from the plane of the plate, along the side bars thereof, and extending across the ends of the slots, so as to brace the plate at those points, and in a great measure compensate for the weakening incident to the removal of material by the slots. These ribs, however, form on the longitudinal edges of the plate downwardly projecting edges, which are liable to injure the foot of the wearer of the shoe.

The object of my present invention is to overcome this defect; and to that end it consists in the peculiar construction of the slotted plate, as hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view of my improved slotted plate connected with the clasp. Fig. II is an edge view of the same. Fig. III is an isometric view of the slotted plate. Fig. IV is a transverse section thereof. Fig. V is a plan view of the slotted plate having its intervening cross-bars re-enforced by concavo-convex ribs extending the length of said cross-bars. Fig. VI is a longitudinal section taken on line y y, Fig. V, and Fig. VII is a transverse section of the slot ted plate embodying n'iodifications of my in vention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A denotes the plate, which is provided with a series of transverse slots, a a, by the first of which it is attached to the strap or quarter of the shoe or other article, which strap is usually passed through said slot and folded back upon itself and sewed or riveted together in the usual and well-known manner, the other slots of the plate being designed for the reception of the tongue 0 of the clasp in locking the same, as represented in Figs. I and II of the drawings. Said plate A is formed or struck up from thin sheet metal, and the longitudinal edges thereof I bend or strike upward from the under side thereof, and thereby form longitudinal side flanges, a c, which extend from end to end of the plate uninterruptedly, so as to form a continuous brace or truss extending across the ends of the slots at a, and thus stiffening the plate at the points where it is deprived of a great portion of its material by the slots a a. By extending the flanges the entire length of the plate and across the ends of the end slots the portion of the plate by which it is attached to the strap or flap is likewise reenforced. Aside from this advantage, the flanges a a form guards, which serve to maintain the tongue parallel with the plate during the movement of the instep in walking.

In order to guard against chafing and injuring the foot of the wearer of the shoe by the impingement of the longitudinal edges of the plate A, I round up the same from the under side of the plate, as illustrated in Fig. IV of the drawings, thereby rendering said plate more comfortable to the foot of the wearer of the shoe, and this is further insured by narrowing the plate A, which reduction of width the longitudinal flanges admit of.

To compensate further against the weakness occasioned by cutting out the metal and forming the transverse slots in the plate, I corrugate the intermediate transverse bars, a, as represented in Figs. V and VI. The convex sides of the corrugations are toward the bottom of the plate, and are slightly above the under side of the longitudinal bars of the plate, as best shown at Fig. VI, thereby preventing the corrugations from coming in contact with and hurtingthe fOOliWllGll the clasp is applied in use.

It is obvious that my described improved slotted plate is adapted for use in connection with most any style of clasp having a tongue passing through one of the slots' of said plate in looking the clasp; hence I do not limit my invention to its combination with any particular form of clasp.

Having described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a clasp or buckle plate formed or struck up of thin metal curved lengthwise to conform to the contour of the article to which it is to be applied, and rounded up transversely on its longitudinal edges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The withindescribed clasp or buckle plate, consisting of a plate curved longitudinally from a horizontal plane, provided with transverse slots, and longitudinal side flanges bent up from the under side of the plate and extending uninterruptedly from end to end thereof, substantially as herein specified and shown.

3. The within-described transversely slotted plate curved longitudinally from ahorizontal plane and having transverse bars corrugated lengthwise, said bars and side flanges rounded up from the under side of the plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 22d day of May, 1885.

JACOB J. UNBEHEND. [L. s. i Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, E. O. CANNON. 

